Scriptwriter / Adaptation Writer (Volunteer)

Scriptwriter / Adaptation Writer (Volunteer)

Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP)

Division: Storytelling & Media / PromisePress

Location: Remote via Google Meet and/or New York City (as needed)

Type: Volunteer (Unpaid)

About Mentor A Promise

Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a New York City–based nonprofit dedicated to supporting children and youth ages 5–18 experiencing housing instability. Through mentorship, literacy development, social-emotional learning, creative expression, and storytelling, MAP creates safe, consistent, and empowering spaces where young people are seen, respected, and valued.

MAP’s publishing and storytelling work under PromisePress centers stories rooted in empathy, resilience, identity, and imagination—designed to move fluidly across formats while remaining grounded in lived experience.

Purpose of the Role

The Scriptwriter / Adaptation Writer translates MAP stories into new formats while preserving their emotional core and narrative integrity. This role adapts written stories into scripts for animation, podcasts, short films, and other media, ensuring that tone, pacing, and meaning remain consistent across platforms.

This writer serves as a bridge between original texts and production teams, helping stories reach wider audiences without losing what makes them matter.

Key Responsibilities

• Adapt books and written stories into short scripts for animation, podcasts, and short films
• Maintain narrative integrity, emotional resonance, and author intent across formats
• Adjust pacing, dialogue, and structure to fit medium-specific requirements
• Collaborate closely with animators, audio producers, editors, and creative leads
• Participate in script reviews, table reads, and revision cycles as needed
• Ensure adaptations remain trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and age-appropriate
• Support alignment with educational and literacy goals, when applicable
• Maintain clear versioning and documentation of script drafts
• Check and respond to emails daily, with responses within 48 hours
• Take responsibility for continuous improvement by incorporating feedback and refining adaptations

Qualifications

• Experience in scriptwriting, adaptation writing, screenwriting, or audio storytelling
• Strong understanding of narrative structure, dialogue, and pacing across mediums
• Ability to translate prose into visual and audio storytelling formats
• Sensitivity to trauma-informed and culturally responsive language
• Strong collaboration and communication skills
• Commitment to ethical, inclusive, and mission-driven storytelling

Bonus (Not Required)

• Experience writing for animation, podcasts, or short films
• Familiarity with children’s or youth-focused content
• Background in education, SEL, or literacy-based storytelling
• Bilingual or multilingual abilities (Spanish or Haitian Creole preferred)

Commitment

• Volunteer role, approximately 5–10 hours per week
• Minimum 6-month commitment preferred
• Remote collaboration via Google Meet, with optional NYC-based participation
• MAP prioritizes consistency, care, and respect for creative labor

What You’ll Gain

• Hands-on experience adapting stories across multiple creative formats
• Portfolio-ready scripts and adaptation work
• Collaboration with animators, audio producers, and multidisciplinary creative teams
• Professional references and letters of recommendation
• The opportunity to help stories travel across mediums while preserving heart and meaning

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply directly through Idealist.

Translate stories with care. Help them move from page to sound, image, and motion—without losing their soul.